How to Plan a Hybrid Meeting People Actually Want to Attend
Hybrid meetings have made it possible to bring people together from different offices, cities, and even countries.
But we’ve all experienced the other side of hybrid meetings, too.
“Can you hear me?”
“You’re muted.”
“We can’t see the presentation.”
“Can someone move the laptop closer?”
A successful hybrid meeting shouldn’t feel like a constant battle with technology.
With thoughtful planning, the right space, and professional meeting technology, hybrid events can create meaningful connections between people in the room and participants joining remotely.
Here are a few ways to make them work better.
Start With the Remote Experience
When planning a hybrid meeting, it’s easy to focus primarily on the people who will physically be in the room.
Instead, consider the experience of someone joining remotely.
Can they clearly hear everyone speaking?
Can they see both the presenter and other participants?
Can they easily view presentations?
Can they participate in discussions?
Will someone notice when they have something to contribute?
Planning around these questions helps prevent remote participants from becoming passive observers.
Prioritize Good Audio
Video gets a lot of attention, but audio may be the most important part of a hybrid meeting.
If participants can’t clearly hear the conversation, engagement disappears quickly.
Professional microphones and integrated audio systems allow people to speak naturally without passing around a laptop or leaning toward a single microphone in the middle of the table.
At the Lisa Maloff University Center, integrated Shure microphones and Crestron technology help provide professional-quality audio throughout meetings and presentations.
Make Sure Everyone Can Be Seen
Hybrid meetings work best when remote participants can see more than one fixed view of the room.
The University Center’s flexible classrooms include two Ross HD PIVOTcams designed to provide high-performance image capture throughout the space.
That means remote attendees can better follow presentations, discussions, and activity within the room rather than staring at one distant camera angle.
Make Presentations Easy to Share
Presenters shouldn’t need to spend the first 15 minutes of a meeting troubleshooting cables and screen sharing.
University Center meeting spaces include technology designed for seamless multimedia presentations and online collaboration.
Flexible classrooms feature 6500-lumen laser projectors supporting 4K content, while the Executive Conference Room includes a 98-inch ultra HD 4K touch-sensitive display.
The Kramer VIA system also supports a wide range of collaboration software, making it easier for teams to connect and share content.
Think Beyond the Meeting
Sometimes organizations need more than a live video call.
Meetings, trainings, lectures, and presentations may need to be recorded or shared with a larger audience.
The University Center’s Extron SMP technology supports simultaneous recording and streaming at 1080p, allowing organizations to extend the reach of their event beyond the people attending in real time.
Have Technical Support Available
Even the best technology is more useful when someone knows how to operate it.
The University Center has technology experts available to help clients set up and run meetings.
Instead of assigning someone on your team to spend the day troubleshooting equipment, your attendees can focus on the reason they gathered in the first place.
Create a Better Hybrid Meeting in Lake Tahoe
Hybrid work isn’t going away.
But awkward hybrid meetings don’t have to be part of it.
The Lisa Maloff University Center combines flexible meeting spaces with professional multimedia, conferencing, recording, and livestream technology designed to help people communicate and collaborate across geography.
Whether you’re planning a board meeting, training, conference, deposition, presentation, or team gathering, we’ll help you find the space and technology that fit your needs.
Call 530-541-4660 ext. 245 or email lmuc@ltcc.edu to schedule a tour or learn more about booking your next meeting.
